Dr. Aseem Malhotra

He's now training for World Ironman, and he's 60 plus now, and he's off all his pills, Megan.

He's now training for World Ironman, and he's 60 plus now, and he's off all his pills, Megan.

So I'm not saying this is for everybody, but it's a great example of what can be achieved in healthcare if we actually give patients the right information, if we empower them on the benefits and harms of drugs in a way that is not through coercion, not through manipulation of drug industry who are there to basically make money.

So I'm not saying this is for everybody, but it's a great example of what can be achieved in healthcare if we actually give patients the right information, if we empower them on the benefits and harms of drugs in a way that is not through coercion, not through manipulation of drug industry who are there to basically make money.

So I'm not saying this is for everybody, but it's a great example of what can be achieved in healthcare if we actually give patients the right information, if we empower them on the benefits and harms of drugs in a way that is not through coercion, not through manipulation of drug industry who are there to basically make money.

And the reality is this, most people in the world, Megan, taking statins, are going to get no benefit whatsoever and they don't even know it.

And the reality is this, most people in the world, Megan, taking statins, are going to get no benefit whatsoever and they don't even know it.

And the reality is this, most people in the world, Megan, taking statins, are going to get no benefit whatsoever and they don't even know it.

Yeah, great question. Before I answer that specifically, I said something interesting that I found myself and a number of international scientists in 2016 and BMJ. We actually looked at whether LDL cholesterol had a risk for heart disease in over 60s, partly because the original studies where cholesterol was exposed as a potential risk factor or as a major risk factor for heart disease.

Yeah, great question. Before I answer that specifically, I said something interesting that I found myself and a number of international scientists in 2016 and BMJ. We actually looked at whether LDL cholesterol had a risk for heart disease in over 60s, partly because the original studies where cholesterol was exposed as a potential risk factor or as a major risk factor for heart disease.

Yeah, great question. Before I answer that specifically, I said something interesting that I found myself and a number of international scientists in 2016 and BMJ. We actually looked at whether LDL cholesterol had a risk for heart disease in over 60s, partly because the original studies where cholesterol was exposed as a potential risk factor or as a major risk factor for heart disease.

What wasn't publicized, Megan, in those original studies from Framingham, Massachusetts, that started in 1948 and went on for decades, is that once people hit 50, as their cholesterol dropped, their death rates increased. And we thought, this is a bit unusual. Why is no one really talking about this? So we went back and looked at up-to-date data.

What wasn't publicized, Megan, in those original studies from Framingham, Massachusetts, that started in 1948 and went on for decades, is that once people hit 50, as their cholesterol dropped, their death rates increased. And we thought, this is a bit unusual. Why is no one really talking about this? So we went back and looked at up-to-date data.

What wasn't publicized, Megan, in those original studies from Framingham, Massachusetts, that started in 1948 and went on for decades, is that once people hit 50, as their cholesterol dropped, their death rates increased. And we thought, this is a bit unusual. Why is no one really talking about this? So we went back and looked at up-to-date data.

And what we found, one, was there was no association with LDL cholesterol in heart disease in over 60s. But the most interesting finding was the higher one's LDL in older populations, of death statistically, right? So the question is, how is that possible?

And what we found, one, was there was no association with LDL cholesterol in heart disease in over 60s. But the most interesting finding was the higher one's LDL in older populations, of death statistically, right? So the question is, how is that possible?

And what we found, one, was there was no association with LDL cholesterol in heart disease in over 60s. But the most interesting finding was the higher one's LDL in older populations, of death statistically, right? So the question is, how is that possible?

Well, one of the things that's been forgotten because of all this focus on heart disease and this forward hypothesis is that cholesterol has a really important role in the immune system. Older people are more vulnerable to dying from infections.

Well, one of the things that's been forgotten because of all this focus on heart disease and this forward hypothesis is that cholesterol has a really important role in the immune system. Older people are more vulnerable to dying from infections.

Well, one of the things that's been forgotten because of all this focus on heart disease and this forward hypothesis is that cholesterol has a really important role in the immune system. Older people are more vulnerable to dying from infections.